Jered Weaver was hardly the first pitcher to lose a game in which he had more than just the normal amount of motivation to win.

Saturday’s Weaver-fest at Angel Stadium was laced with the kind of baseball lore that in today’s world becomes a raging case of hyperbole. Jeff Weaver versus Jered Weaver, big bro versus lil’ bro, the Dodgers versus the Angels, parents in the stands, just the eighth head-to-head matchup of brothers in more than a

century of baseball.

Before the game started, the brothers looked at each other during warm-ups – the bullpens are adjacent at the stadium – exchanged smirks and headshakes. After their first pitches, both brothers took the ball back from the catcher and rolled it into their respective dugouts, mementos for mom and dad.

Every time they looked in the stands, they could see their parents wearing half-Dodgers, half-Angels jerseys specially made for them by the Angels. They could see dad Dave suffering with each pitch, which is a normal occurrence for Weaver the elder but doubly so Saturday.

They did everything short of leave messages for each other in the dirt on the mound.

“I called Jeff twice (during the day) and he big-leagued me (didn’t answer),” Jered smiled after the game, a signed Kobe Bryant jersey hanging in his locker. “One good thing about it is that my parents got some sweet jerseys.”

Older brother beat younger brother, 6-4, and statistically it was Jered’s worst start of the season. But Sandy Koufax lost his first start after his 1965 perfect game to the same team he had just no-hit. Nolan Ryan lost his first start after his seventh no-hitter, also to the same team he had just no-hit.

It doesn’t detract from what the former Long Beach State star has done this season.

He is 7-3 on the season with an ERA of 2.53, tied for third best in the American League with Roy Halladay with Kansas City’s red-hot Zach Greinke (1.96) one of the two pitchers ahead of him. His opponent’s batting average for the season is .217, second best in the league and it was tops before Saturday.

Before Saturday, he had eight consecutive starts in which he allowed just 10 runs, including his first complete-game shutout. Add it all together and it spells All-Star.

Anyone who saw him pitch at Blair Field knew this day was coming. He was 37-9 in his Dirtbags career, and his career record in three-plus seasons in the majors is now 42-22 with a sub-3.50 ERA in an era where 4.00 is considered an achievement.

Saturday was an anomaly. Weaver got some pitches up and had three early walks that came back to haunt him. Of course, he was facing the team with the most wins in baseball whose No. 9 hitter was Matt Kemp, owner of a .310 average, eight home runs and 37 RBIs.

“I was disappointed I didn’t put up a better performance,” Weaver said. “But no excuses. You try to pitch every game the same. I won’t hang my head. I’ll be back to battle next game.”

“A pitch here and there, it’s a different ballgame,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “He wasn’t as crisp as he has been, a bit uncharacteristic. But give (the Dodgers) credit. They’re a first-place team and if you miss some spots, they’ll let you know.”

Few pitchers can boast of a 42-22 career record midway through his fourth season, and never having lost three straight games. Weaver started fast, you’ll recall, winning his first nine decisions in 2006 to tie an American League record held by Yankees Hall of Famer Whitey Ford, and becoming the first rookie to win his first seven since Fernando Valenzuela did it for the Dodgers in 1981.

In 2007, he was 13-7 and allowed three earned runs or less in 21 of 28 starts. In 2008, he improved his strikeout ratio, with 152 in 176 innings, and was part of an eight-inning no-hitter against the Dodgers, losing, 1-0, on an unearned run.

“He picked things up fairly quickly for the most part,” Angels coach Mike Butcher said about his pro progress. “He got used to the pro game because he prepared himself well. Troy Buckley did a nice job at Long Beach State getting him ready for the next step.

“He had to refine his pitching. He added a change, something he didn’t throw in college, and now it’s become a dominant pitch for him. This year, it’s just been consistency. He added about 15 pounds and he’s stronger, and he understands the amount of preparation he needs to put in.”

Weaver doesn’t turn 27 until the last day of the regular season on

Oct. 4. Only Jeremy Bonderman,

with 59 wins, has more wins for a 26-year-old, and he’s in his seventh major-league season.

His pace is comparable to the only three active pitchers under 30 who have won 100 games or more, CC Sabathia (123 at 28), Jon Garland (110 at 29) and Carlos Zambrano (100 at 28). Josh Beckett, 29, is closing in.

That’s good company. It will be good company if he makes the All-Star team, too, seeing as rotation-mates John Lackey, Joe Saunders and Ervin Santana have made it the last two seasons.

He had good company Saturday, too, with mom, dad, friends, family and his brother. Strange, but good, and if you’re going to lose a game, it might as well be to your brother.

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